Haircutting comb



Aug 22, 1950 R. P. M. DAvls HAIR CUTTING coms Filed Aug. 19, 194e IN VEN TOR.

@from/5y Patented Aug. 22, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

The invention relates to a hair cutting comb and more particularly to a comb having an adjustable ,razor blade thereon, the blade being adjustable to diiierent positions on the .comb for use as ahair trimmer, or comb.

Heretofore it Yhas been lproposed to lprovide a hair trimmer having an. adjustable razor .blade thereon, witha bolt and nut for holding the blade .in its position oi adjustment, and wherein the adjustment .is vmade by pushing the blade by hand to its desired position. This has the objection that it is difcult or awkward .to move the blade parallel to itself with its cutting edge .at right angles to the teeth, .and then hold it in its new position while tightening the bolt.

An object of the present invention is to provide abutting .implement useful as a hair cutting comb, an ordinary comb, and as -a razor, with .a motion transmitting mechanism 4under `control of a knob for moving the cutting edge parallel to itself the desired amount, and with .means preferably under control of the same knob, for locking the blade in its adjusted position, the mechanical movement having parts which may be `readily coupled and 'uncoupled so that a used blade can be readily removed from the holder and a new one substituted therefor.

Another object ,is to provide improved means for guiding the razor blade so that its cutting edge moves parallel to itself and at right angles tothe median of the comb teeth.

Another object is to provide improved razor blade holder.

The invention provides va hair cutting comb wherein the device maybe employed to thin the hair, or it may be adjusted to dilerent positions along the teeth to .cut hair .of different lengths, or it may be `adjusted to a position adjacent the tips of the teeth to serve as .a razor. The comb preferably has teeth on opposite sides thereof and the blade is adjustable away from the teeth on one side `so that the device may also be employed as an ordinary comb.

For further details of the invention, reference may be made to the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 lis a'plan view vof a hair cutting comb according tothe present invention.

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are enlarged sectional views with parts broken away on lines of the .correspending numbers' in Figs. 1 .and 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.v Fig. 3 the section is taken on a Vbroken line below pinion 31 and lookingy at what appears in Fig. 2 as the bottom of the blade holder.

Figs. 5 .and 6 are plan views :partly in section,

:2 Y with parts broken away showing the razor lblade in 'different positions of adjustment.

Referring in `detail to the drawings, the comb A'I has a ybodyfportion 2 having a set of short ne teeth 3 on rone side thereof intermediate the back portions e, and 5. 'The comb I has a set of vteeth 'E opposite the back vII and a similar set of teeth 'FI opposite the `back 5. 'Between the sets 6 -:and "1I, is a Aset of teeth 8 having short grooves such as y"9 alternating with vlonger Ygrooves such as I0.

Thefront of Athe comb vas seen in Fig. 1 has a recess II and the bottom wall I2 of this recess 'lies in the same plane 'as the front side oi lthe teeth 3, to form a ilat vsurface to slidably receive a double edge "razor 'blade I3. The teeth 3 are spaced from the teeth so `that the `blade 'I 3'w'hen in the position shown Fig. 6 will have lone 4of its .edges I5 extending across the bottom of the groove I6 of the teeth 3 and `its opposite edge II extending across the bottom of the deep grooves Il), whereby the blade is in cutting relation to all of the teeth 3 and alternate teeth in the set V8.

The front side ofthe backs 4 and 5 as seen in Fig. l, have concave recesses .I8 and I9 to house the rounded ends '2H vand 2l of a bridge or cover plate 22. The ycover plate 22 .is permanently fixed to the comb II and 'it has integral pins 23 and 2.3" which `extend through apertures '2d and 25 Vin .the comb, the rear end of the pins 23 and 23' being riveted as indicated at 26 and 21.

Therecess Il is Ipartially covered -by the cover plate .2.2 to provide .a compartment to slidably supportand .receive the blade holder Ill and the blade I3. The bottom wall I2 of the recess I'I has spaced parallel .guide grooves 2.8 vand 29 as .shown by .the dotted lines in Figs. 3 5, and 6, to rslidably receive .the lugs .3!! .and 3| on the .rear side of the `blade holder M. The `lugs .30 .and 3| are rectangular in Ishalpeand .to .accommodate them, the blade I3 is provided with .a rectangular aperture 32.. The blade d3 will vlit well .known types .of double edge razor blade holders, but the usual .dou-ble edge .blade will not fit the holder of the present invention.

Each 'groove 28.and 29 has parallel .sides which Iextend lengthwise .of the teeth 3 .and each groove 28 and 29 extends the `full length of the teeth which they intersect as shown at 33 and 34 in Fig.. 3 so as Vto per-mit the holder It and its blade I3 to :be removed :from the comb I by movement of ,holder .I4 .and blade lI3 outwardly along and beyond the teeth .3.

rIhe front -of .blade holder I4 has a rack 35 which slides .a groove 36 on the under side of the/cover plate` 22.. The groove 35 and the rack 35 extend lengthwise of the teeth 3 and 8 and assist in guiding bladeholder I4l and blade I3 so that the cutting edges I5 and I1 move parallel to themselves and at right angles to the median line of the teeth. The rack 35 meshes with a pinion 31 housed in a recess 38 on the under side of the cover plate 22. Pinion 31 is on the inner end of a shaft 39 which is rotatably mounted in a bearing 40 in the cover plate 22. Fixed to the outer end of shaft 39 is a knob or handle 4I having a pointer 42 which cooperates with indicia 43 to indicate the different positions of adjustment of the blade I3. The blade I3 is adjusted to different positions by turning the knob 4I.

To hold the blade in its adjusted position, the shaft 39 has a conical portion 44 which fits in a conical bore 45 to form a friction clutch or lock, the shaft 39 being urged outwardly by a compression spring 46 to frictionally hold the shaft 39 and blade I3 against movement. When it is desired to adjust the blade to a new position or to remove it entirely, the knob 4I is pressed in against the action of spring 46, to release the friction grip 44 and 45 and permit the knob 4I to turn and operate the pinion 31 which slides across and remains in mesh with rack 35. The pinion 31 as shown preferably has a larger number of teeth than the rack 35 so that the blade I3 can be shifted the full length of recess II by making less than one full revolution of the knob l The blade I3 can be adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 6 where it overlies the base of the teeth 3 and the base of teeth 8. The cutting edge I5 can then be used to cut hair of a certain length, preferably the exposed length of the teeth being shorter for shorter hair to be out. The opposite side of the blade I3 can be used to cut and thin the hair as the hair in the short grooves 9 cannot reach the cutting edge I1 whereas the hair in the longer grooves I is cut by the edge I1. If it is desired to out shorter hair with the teeth 3, and/or to use the teeth 6, 1 and 8 as a comb without cutting, the blade I3 may be adjusted to the intermediate position shown in Fig. 3 wherein the edge I1 is removed from the bottom of the long grooves I0 while the edge I5 extends across an intermediate portion of the teeth 3. If it is desired to use the edge I as a razor, the blade I3 may be adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 5 wherein the edge I5 is adjacent the tips of the teeth 3, and at this time the opposite side of the device may also be used as an ordinary comb. When it is desired to remove an old blade and substitute a. new one, the knob 4I can be rotated sufficiently to push the rack 35 out of mesh with pinion 31 to permit removal of blade I3 and holder I4 from the comb I. A new blade is put in the holder I4 and they are inserted in the outer end of recess I I to bring the rack 35 into mesh with pinion 31.

While I have illustrated the preferred form of mechanical movement for adjusting the blade and the preferred form for locking the blade in adjusted position, it will be apparent that various modifications may be made therein.

I claim:

1. A hair cutting comb having a body portion and teeth and having a recess in one side of said body portion, said recess having a wall flush with one side of said teeth, a cover plate secured to said body portion and extending over said recess, a blade holder slidable in said recess, an operating member movably carried by Said cover 4 plate, a motion transmitting mechanism between said member and said blade holder under said cover plate, for shifting the blade along said teeth, and means guiding said blade holder for movement of the cutting edge of the blade parallel to itself along said teeth.

2. A hair cutting comb according to claim 1 wherein said motion transmitting mechanism has separable parts, one of Which is carried by said cover plate and another of which is carried by said blade holder.

3. A hair cutting comb having opposite sets of teeth, means comprising a bridge providing a compartment opening into both of said sets of teeth, a blade holder for a double edge blade slidable in said compartment, a manually operable motion transmitting mechanism having a shaft for shifting said holder along both of said sets of teeth to shift the double edge blade inwardly of one set of teeth and outwardly of the other set, said bridge having a bearing support for said shaft.

4. A comb having teeth, said comb having a bridge forming a blade and blade holder recess extending lengthwise of said teeth, said comb having under said bridge and below said recess a pair of parallel recesses extending lengthwise of said teeth, a removable blade holder slidable in said first recess along the teeth, said blade holder having a pair of lugs slidably fitting said parallel recesses, and a drive having an operative member carried by said bridge for operating said blade holder.

5. A hair trimmer and comb comprising a comb having opposite sets of teeth, said sets having parallel base lines more closely spaced than the width of a double edge razor blade, said comb having a razor blade recess greater in width than the width of said blade, said recess extending over said opposite sets, a blade holder slidable in said recess, means at one side of said recess for supporting said blade holder in said recess for movement lengthwise of the teeth of both of said sets, such movement causing the blade to recede with respect to the teeth of one set and correspondingly advance with respect to the other set, a bearing in said supporting means at one side of said comb, a rotatable shaft in said bearing, said shaft extending transversely of said comb, a pinion on the inner end of said shaft, a cooperating rack on the front of said blade holder, a guide slot for said rack in said supporting means, the rear of said blade holder having a lug to receive an aperture in the blade, the side of said comb having a guide depression for said last mentioned lug, said depression extending lengthwise of certain of said teeth.

6. A hair trimmer and comb comprising a comb having opposite sets of teeth, said sets having parallel base lines more closely spaced than the width of a double edge razor blade, said comb having a razor blade recess greater in width than the width of said blade, said recess extending over said opposite sets, a wall over said recess intermediate said sets of teeth, a double edge razor blade holder slidable in said recess, means guiding said blade holder` for movement lengthwise of both of said sets of teeth, an operating shaft extending through said wall, and a driving connection behind said wall between said shaft and said blade holder.

'1. A hair cutting comb comprising a body portion having teeth at one side thereof, a blade holder therefor, a guide for said blade holder, a rotatable operating member having an axis transverse to said body portion, and means supporting said operating member spaced from and transverse to said body portion, said member having an inner end having a motion transmitting mechanism for adjusting said holder to adjust the cutting edge of the blade along said teeth, said guide guiding said blade holder for sliding movement between the inner end of said operating member and said body portion.

8. In a hair cutting comb, a razor blade holder comprising a rectangular slide narrower than the distance between parallel cutting edges on a double edge razor blade having aperture means, a rack having teeth arising from the front of said slide, said rack lying within the boundary of said slide, and lug means on the rear of said slide to t said aperture means.

9. In a hair cutting comb, according to claim 8, the ends of said slide, said rack and said lug means having parallel slide surfaces, and a comb having corresponding guide surfaces.

ROY P. M. DAVIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,399,103 Butler Dec. 6, 192'1 1,456,432 Froh May 22, 1923 1,536,622 Cowan May 5, 1925 10 1,789,234 Keenan Jan. 13, 1931 1,894,188 Mirafuentes Jan. 10, 1933 2,252,628 Grachan Aug. 12, 1941 2,461,444 Saunders Feb. 8, 1949 15 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 185,392 France Mar. 8, 1923 543,781 Great Britain June 9, 1922 

